Proficiency

Meet Mason Finocchio, a 2018 national FFA proficiency finalist, who has taken a stand against hunger in his community. Most kids Mason Finocchio’s age are thinking about college, future careers and their plans for Friday night. Finocchio thinks about those things, too, but his primary concern is helping the less fortunate. “I found out that in my community, the poverty level is 18 percent, which is 4 percent higher than the national average,” says Finocchio. “Because of that, I decided to start a project through FFA dedicated to knocking out hunger in our community.” The recent graduate of Bald Eagle Area [...]

This 2018 national FFA proficiency finalist shows the exotic side of agriculture. There are many FFA members who can say they grew up with livestock, whether it’s cattle or pigs, sheep or chickens. Not many can say they cared for llamas and peacocks in their childhood, however. One of this year’s Specialty Animal Production Proficiency Award finalists grew up with these exotic animals and incorporated them into her FFA experience. Cassidy Hacker of the Sleepy Eye FFA Chapter in Minnesota said her father started the family’s llama operation when he bought a pair for her mother. When Hacker was 3 years old, [...]